Hmm, maybe your mounts are worn and are allowing the engine to sit lower than normal. If this is the case you might be able to lift the motor without having to disconnect the mounts.

 

Thanks again alloro, I talked to a Dodge mechanic today,he said on the B cargo vans he has to lift the motor and drop the suspension crossmember slightly to get the pan off. What a headache! The engine mounts look easy to remove, so im going to dissconnect them and jack up the engine tonite. I already unhooked the rad shroud, top rad hose and oil filler tube they where the only things tha might hit while raising. I hope I dont have to drop the suspension crossmember, I'll have to put it up on stands to take off the weight to allow it to drop. scary working under there especially being alone, I'll keep you posted. Thanks, Dan

 

Well I got the pan off last nite and removed the pump. I was very happy to find that a 3\4" piece of the distributer shaft broke off and fell down inside the hex drive opening in the pump. The shaft must have been droping just enough to ingage the pump at first then wore round and stoped pumping. The bottom of the pan has alot of sludge and the pick up screen was dirty. I now know that the mechanic that said he installed a high vilosity pump lied, all the bolts I had to remove where rusted and have never been removed. I had to jack up the engine and transmission as high as I couldand drop the exhaust, and I stlill had to wrestle the pan out of there.
Thanks alloro for all your help, and I can send you a e-mail picture of the broken shaft is your interested.

 

LOL, go back and read the #1 suggested problem in my first post in this thread.

Sure, I'd like to see that picture. You can email me by clicking my name on the left of this message.

 

Well finished it up today, New pump shaft, standard oil pump, pan gasket,oil and filter. Fired it up , it was very noisy for about 2 min, but now it sounds like a new engine, and at a idle I have a little over 40 psi pressure. I would like to thank everyone assosiated with this forumand especially alloro for his expert diagnosis. Cost me a total of 100 bucksto repair whatthat the Dodge dealer or the local mechanic couldn'tdiagnois. Thanks again, Dan

 

Glad to hear you got everything working.[sm=deal.gif]

You still have an unresolved issue with the "mechanic" that claimed to havetaken outthe oil pump and changed it with a high volume pump.

 

OK now im really aggravated, on a short trip to the local Advance Auto about 7 miles awayto get a new air filter while pulling in the parking lot, I hear the ding ding sound and check engine indicator on, pump pressure showing 0 again. I shut off the engine and restarted pressure came back up to normal but i had to shut off 5 times to get it back home. Once at home I checked oil level while running andI had 0 oil pressure, and it was in the safe zone. Then after shutting off and restarting the pressure was good so I pulled the connector off the oil sender and and the gage responded normally raising up when accellerating. How is this possible?The sender is right beside the distributor on the right while inside the van. This seems like a bad dream! It only makes sence that the broken oil pump drive shaft caused this problem. What are the chances of two problems causing the same very rare symptoms? Thanks again, Dan

 

Any chance there is a break or short in the wires going to the oil pressure sensor?

 

Well today I decided to use the gauge I use to test oil furnace pumps, Im a H.V.A.C . tech.
After letting the van warm up the actual pressure was about 35 psi, asI drove it became lower and lower untill it reached 0. I had a T installed on thetesting gauge and the dash gauge to compair them, the dash gauge read 40psi until the pressure droped to 0. So in reallity I never had a instant drop in pressure, just a screwed up sending unit. As far as the broken shaft , The mechanic swears he put in a new pump, so I now belive he droped the pan just enough to get the bolts out and when reinstalling the new one hegot it misaligned and and snaped the shaft. So now im back to square one and I know these symptoms are not good, gradual loss of oil pressure while warming up. After letting it cool down the pressure is 60psi and increases slightly when accelerating after about 10 min of driving it drops down to 0. Im still lost on this. Allero you have been great and I really apreciate all your help, Any more ideas with the new set of symptoms now tested with a accurate gauge? Soon they will have to call this forum Dansendlessprojects Problems. Thanks again, Dan

 

I hate to say it, but with the gradual loss of pressure as the oil heats up mimics the symptoms of a spun mainbearing.Since you haven't mentioned any knocking sounds, a spun rod bearing isn't likely. It would've been nice to have been able to do this pressure gauge test reading back at the beginning of this thread, but you got double-whammied with that broken shaft andthe bad sending unit.[sm=smiley6.gif]